Title: Perfect Absence

Anime: Fullmetal Alchemist

Rating: T+

Disclaimer: I wish, but can't say that I own any of Hiromu Arakawa's works

Summary: He never was the one to do such acts, he wasn't even the one to stand by and watch. But now, Alphonse meets the Holocaust face to face and he chooses who dies and who survives. Including his own brother.


Chapter 7:

Emotionless Act


He was given the honors of retrieving the new guinea pigs. Hate wasn't even close to what he felt for the doctors, furious maybe. Almost every person he brought never got to see their families since they didn't make it through the hour they were tortured. Just like Silena. They had wanted to amputate her remaining flesh leg to see if a new painkiller and prosthetic parts would work better then the ones they already had. But, she was too young to endure anymore and died right before him. Into the pit her body was thrown but not before blank eyes found themselves staring directly at Alphonse. For some reason, she reminded him to much of Edward.

With shaking hands, he fumbled to open the door. The man behind him was oddly quiet compared to the others that had either spat out threats and death wishes or prayers to the god they believed in. The silence was punctured by the occasional gun shots and screams from outside and Alphonse felt more queasy then he had ever felt. More then when he realized where he was or got the first whiff of the stale stench.

Why…

"How the hell did you get out?" the man suddenly stated, causing the blonde to look at him with confusion, "And how did you grow back your hair so fast? I was there when they shaved everyone's head including yours!"

It took Al a few seconds to realize that the man wasn't just mumbling gibberish. A new sense of hope entered him rapidly as the man continued to give him questioning glares. His brother was alive after all.

"You must mean my brother, Edward… Is he doing-"

"Ok? Hell we're all shaken up!" was the gruff reply and Alphonse could now see the cross look on his face.

He sure seems to like saying that word.

Alphonse frowned and shook his head. "Please go in."

"Please? Gah!" the man exclaimed rashly but did as he was told.

Dr. Mengele motioned for Alphonse to bring the now terrified man closer, and he did. His right hand hurt from his past refusal.

Al's blonde bangs brushed against his eyes as he shook his head rapidly. He wouldn't, couldn't. The needles were there, poised stiffly above the screaming five year old's eyes and Dr. Mengele had asked him to 'help' with the testing. Seeing the paranoid look on the little boy's face was enough to make Alphonse sure that he wouldn't go near that table.

"Ok, I respect your decision," Dr. Mengele replied. "Instead, please bring this man back here immediately."

Alphonse stepped forward, avoiding anyone's gazes and reached out for the slip of paper. His brain couldn't figure out why his fingers cracked but it did recognize the sudden drops of blood rolling off each finger.

"Learn to obey orders more properly," the doctor hissed and Al could only nod in response as he hid the pain with an emotionless mask.

A single bloody bandage clung to his hand. Al bit the inside of his cheek as it began to sting once more.

Why am I alive? I should be dead, not here watching others die.

The man was restrained, his cries muffled from the outside and forced onto the dirt table. Alphonse watched as he struggled against the bonds only to be pulled back down.

He could hear the screams from outside the broken windows and the man's only added to them. Al felt helpless. Was that one his brother? What about the next? And the one after that? The tears had stopped and once more, he forced the emotionless act that now became daily.

"I… I hope both you and your brother rot in hell," the man spat between gasps. "To think you're related, I feel so sorry for him…"

The drug had trailed off his remaining words and Alphonse stared at his limp form.

Am I truly that… Evil?

His eyes didn't move, not an inch. They only narrowed as the man shouted out further comments.

Everyone gives me that same look when they see me coming…

The scientists moved quickly and Alphonse watched them with a different glint in his eyes.

What would brother think? What would he say?

"Alphonse! Give me a hand!" Dr. Mengele ordered and for once, Al didn't think about how angry or terrified the man must feel. He just took the needle he once loathed and slowly brought it down into the man's upper arm.

I'm sorry…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was more… Cleaner. He wasn't sure why but it was. Edward sat motionless on the top bunk, seeming that the one below was occupied. He didn't mind being near the ceiling but the stench from the door a few feet away choked him and made it nearly impossible to sleep. With an irritated sigh, he rolled over and forced his head into the straw mattress. The man beside him was mumbling nonsense and it had begun to annoy him greatly.

If only Al was here.

The thought had burrowed its way into Edward's head and he snapped his eyes closed. He would have someone to talk to, someone to hope with; not the empty space or the loud man. He had originally bunked with another but he had been taken away earlier.

Ed bit his lip. The last look he had given Al was pure anger and he hated himself for that. It left a bad memory.

The door suddenly swung open and met the wall a few inches way from the back of his head sending shivers running down his spine.

"Move!"

The shouts awoke nearly everyone in the cramped barrack and Edward grew paralyzed at how close it was to him. A whip crackled against the side of his bed and in a single movement, he flipped himself over and slid off its edge. To his luck, he found himself inches away from an SS trooper.

"Move, dammit!"

He received a glare like no other and the whip clipped his shoulder. He stumbled back but managed to keep some balance. Blood gushed out abruptly and applying pressure on it with the opposite hand, Edward gritted his teeth and carried on outside. At least it wasn't his right shoulder and he was thankful for that. For all he knew, he could be dead on the cement floor.

They were lined up in a particular order, unknown to everyone but the SS men. Finding himself in the right side group, they remained in a line until further acts where shouted and they were ordered to run.

It felt like circles to Ed and it may have been for all he could guess. Finally, a group of men waiting by the edge of the gates motioned for them to come and line up. Many men around Ed gaped at the needles they held but the blonde stayed quiet, observing as the first person reached out and grabbed one of the men's arms. Tattoos of number. No one seemed to be comfortable with the idea but they endured it anyway.

When it was Ed's turn, the man tattooing his arm smeared the blood with his sleeve and punctured his skin with the needle's tip. It hurt, he couldn't lie but the automail operation was more painful then this and he could stand there and feel content. FX1726. That was his new 'name' as the SS troopers had roared out. It stung but Ed ignored the tingling.

They were once more ordered to run when everyone had received their new 'name'. The buildings seemed identical except for one that stood out from the rest. It was smaller and had a metallic door positioned in the center of the wall facing him. Few paid attention to it but something hooked Edward on its appearance. The group trailed around a pit that had been dug deeply with a series of corpses in neat stacks filling it. There was too much blood and his golden eyes looked away dully at the sight of the mess. His eyes did manage to see an officer standing over it with a lit match held in his hand. The corpses were all going to burn.

"Blondie! Get your ass over here!"

Blondie?

Ed craned his neck further in time to nearly trip over at the sight of the being now approaching the smug looking man. Could it be or were his eyes playing tricks on him? No, it was him. He was staring right back at him.

"Brother?"


Finally! The Elric brothers are reunited! I'm not sure why this chapter took so long to write up, maybe because I had a jumble of ideas in my head about how they would reunite or because I can't eat anything without nearly screaming because of my tooth. I promise to get the next chapter up quickly, scouts honor! I've never been a scout or a brownie or whatever else you can think of but a promise is a promise xD

Thank you also to everyone who reviewed and keep 'em coming, very good motivation.